Super cute mystery about missing blanding turtles. Miles has a hard time focusing in life. His parents hope the move and some new friends will help give him a second chance to be the great boy they know he is. The friendship building was fantastic in the story. I also liked how much you learned about turtles and ponds from the book.

Ah! This book was so cute and fun! I loved Miles as a lead. I have ADHD and I was definitely a lot like Miles when I was a kid. I often didn't get the chance to read novels as a kid with a character who experienced internalizing the thoughts the same way I did, so I really appreciate that kids can get this kind of representation in books and see how ADHD can be a great strength for Miles. I think the main friend group (the "rangers") have great chemistry and I love that Pia's and Miles' friendship isn't all sunshine and roses. I think it can be extremely beneficial for young readers to see real life situations balanced in friendships and how the characters work out their conflicts and yet remain best friends. I also think the "eco-mystery" element is a really unique way to get kids interested in science and protecting their local ecosystems by making it fun and wrapping it up into a mystery plot.

Overall, this was a really great standalone book! I loved the setting and the main characters and I think the mystery works really well for a young audience. I would definitely recommend this to kids and I especially think this could be a great avenue to teach kids about turtle and environmental conservation!

Trouble at Turtle Pond is a full-hearted story of making friends, saving endangered turtles, and the mystery of who is plotting against them all.

Young Miles (a rising 5th grader, I believe) has just moved to a new house in a different community, and is looking forward to meeting new friends and focused on making the best first impression possible. We learn that Miles feels socially awkward, and even going to “Social Butterfly” classes as a younger child did not help. The “last straw” was when well-intended Miles allowed a class rabbit to escape from its cage — and the family had to move.

In their new home, Miles and his family live close to a turtle refuge, and the kid who reaches out to him first is on a mission to help save an endangered turtle population that lives at the refuge. A local biologist encourages her involvement, and Miles finds himself a new passion project.

Sadly, many of the turtles that the biologist and her crew have tagged seem to be going missing, as nest sites they are trying to protect are plundered and turtle eggs continue to be stolen. One nest is in the yard of Miles’ crotchety old neighbor, and even though he says he is not against turtles, his actions land him on the list of possible subjects.

The story arc is nice, and the characters are generally believable. The two “problems” I had: the story reinforces that moving to this new house was really for Miles to get a fresh start without the freed rabbit incident hanging over his head. The move makes it harder for his mother to get to work (longer commute), and they have to make new friends in the new community as well. It just doesn’t seem truthful — does this really happen? Secondly, toward the very end of the book, the neighbor and Miles reconcile, and as said neighbor is explaining why he works so hard at gardening, he tells Miles that his yard just wants to revert to milkweed, wild grass and thistle. In a story where endangered species are a focus, why would this line be in there? These specific plants support many threatened and endangered species themselves, so I wish he could have added something like, “I think I will let some of my garden be what it wants to be,” or the line could have said throne and brambles — a more generic gardening frustration.

"A friendship-centered eco-mystery, Trouble at Turtle Pond celebrates citizen science, activist kids, and the power of paying attention."

Miles is looking for a fresh start and he gets it when his family moves to Marsh Hollow. Miles struggles with his ADHD and at his old school he had a bad reputation and an even worse nickname. Called "Mayhem Miles". he was branded as a troublemaker and did not keep many friends when he was found to be responsible for the death of the class pet. Miles hopes to make a good impression at his new school and he finds the perfect way to do that. Like solving the mystery of the strange people burying something in his neighbor’s backyard. Pia, his new neighbor, asks Miles to be a part of the Backyard Rangers. As they uncover clues of wildlife poaching, Miles and Pia are on a desperate mission to help protect the turtles. But as they get closer to the answers, a mysterious message pins the blame on Miles. Can he prove his innocence and save the turtles?

This was a great middle great adventure that all animal loving kids will love. Miles was a great character and I really felt for him as he struggles to be accepted by the kids around him and make friends. It is great that he has ADHA and kids who also have it will appreciate a main character they can connect with. Representation is so important in books, and even for kids who do not have ADHD, they can understand what it is like to make mistakes and be blamed for things they didn't do. Kids will dive into this tale and keep reading until they solve the mystery and save the turtles!